Nuclear power

A HAZARDOUS "time bomb" of radioactive fallout from nuclear meltdowns and weapons testing is waiting to go off around the world. Researchers have found evidence of nuclear fallout lurking in glaciers across the globe – frozen, but at risk of being released. A team of international scientists studied nuclear fallout around the world. They examined the presence of this radioactive material across ice-surface sediments in glaciers in the Arctic, Iceland, the Alps, the Caucasus mountains, British Columbia and Antarctica. And it emerged that "man-made" radioactive material was lurking at all 17 sites surveyed. Worse still, concentrations were found at least 10 times higher than levels elsewhere. "They are some of the highest levels you see in the environment outside nuclear exclusion zones, said Caroline Clason, of the University of Plymouth, told the AFP. Most nuclear fallout falls back down to earth as acid rain – which is typically absorbed into the ground. But in chillier … [Read more...] about Nuclear ‘time bomb’ as radioactive Chernobyl fallout trapped in melting ice could be released all around the world

CHINA is developing a fleet of floating nuclear plants as part of plans to tighten its grip on the South China Sea. The shipborne stations will bring clean energy, heat and even water to remote islands and oil rigs – costing Beijing £300million a pop. But that's far cheaper than transmitting power from mainland China across the 1.4million-square-mile South China Sea, which stretches from Singapore to the southern tip of Taiwan. Officials hope to use portable power barges to shore up China's aggressive sea grab in the region. The global superpower claims about 90% of the South China Sea, and in recent years has pushed to expand its presence in a move described as "sinister" by one top Philippines politician. Construction of the floating plants will begin later this year, the Asia Times reports. If all goes to plan, the first seaworthy station should be operational by 2021, according to officials at the China National Nuclear Corp (CNCN), which is building the plants. They … [Read more...] about China building floating nuclear power plants to power ocean colony of artificial islands in ‘sinister military sea grab’

KILLER robots pose the same threat to humanity as a nuclear apocalypse. That's according to billionaire Bill Gates, who claims artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to both save and destroy the human race. Speaking at an event at Stanford University in California, the Microsoft founder compared intelligent machines to deadly nuclear weapons. "The world hasn’t had that many technologies that are both promising and dangerous," the way AI is, Gates said. "We had nuclear weapons and nuclear energy, and so far so good." Gates, 63, was referring to the potential benefits and risks of nuclear technology when it broke through in the mid-20th Century. While nuclear power promised near-limitless energy, the technology also allowed us to build nuclear bombs. Gates said AI has the potential to revolutionise healthcare around the world. However, he added that "I won’t say there are that many" examples of AI having improved society thus far. While there are many ways we could … [Read more...] about Bill Gates issues chilling warning over ‘dangerous AI’ and claims threat is ‘like nuclear weapons’ – as militaries prepare for deadly robot warfare

CHINA is building a mysterious 30,000-tonne "nuclear icebreaker" ship that could help it dominate the Arctic. The enormous craft would be capable of cutting through thick ocean ice sheets in the frozen seas north of Russia and North America. The enormous nuclear-powered ship would be the first of its kind to serve in China's global fleet. China already operates nuclear-powered submarines, but is yet to launch a nuclear-propelled sea-surface vessel. However, the South China Morning Post reports that the Navy has "nuclear aircraft carriers in the pipeline". China's General Nuclear Power Group asked for companies to bid for a contract to build the vessel. The vessel is specified as being 152 metres long, 30 metres wide, and 18 metres deep. That's small for an aircraft carrier, but one military expert speaking to the SCMP said the ship could serve as a test-bed for improving nuclear "shipbuilding ability". China hasn't said what the ship will be used for, only suggesting that it will be an … [Read more...] about China building mysterious 30,000-TON ‘nuclear icebreaker’ ship that can smash through Arctic ice sheets – but won’t reveal why

Employers typically frown upon using company resources for personal gain, and some scientists at a nuclear weapons facility in Russia are finding that out the hard way. Apparently the scientists used a supercomputer at the facility to mine cryptocurrency, and were subsequently arrested, BBC reports. "There has been an unsanctioned attempt to use computer facilities for private purposes including so-called mining," Tatyana Zalesskaya, head of the Russian Federal Nuclear Centre told Interfax news agency. The nuclear facility is a restricted area located in Sarov, a tightly guarded top-secret town surrounded by barbed wire. During the Cold War, the USSR's first atomic bomb was produced at Sarov. There are about 20,000 people employed at the facility currently. It has a supercomputer that is capable of 1 petaflop. The supercomputer is not supposed to be connected to the internet, which was the scientists' undoing—once they attempted an online connection to mine cryptocurrency, an … [Read more...] about Nuclear scientists in Russia arrested for using supercomputer to mine cryptocurrency